Farmer Bruce

Geoffrey Norman

July 8, 2014 2:29 PM

Representative Bruce Braley of Iowa would like to become Senator Bruce Braley of Iowa. In pursuit of this ambition, he once disparaged a sitting Iowa senator as merely a "farmer from Iowa who never went to law school,” while he, Braley, was a real, sure enough lawyer. With a degree and everything.

He was speaking to a room full of lawyers but he had evidently forgotten that candidates can’t be too careful these days. As witness Mitt Romney and his musings on the 47 percent.

Ever since his remarks became public, Braley has been trying to shake off the hit. Iowa is a place where there is no shame in being a farmer and most people would sooner their daughters grow up and marry one than run off with a member of the Bar.

As Cameron Joseph of The Hill reports, Braley recently went so far as to claim that he actually is farmer.

Braley was walking in an Independence Day parade last Friday in Iowa Falls greeting parade-watchers when a woman seems to take a shot at those comments.

"We're farmers," the parade attendee seems to say.

"So am I," Braley responds.

"But so is Grassley," she says.

"So am I," Braley repeats.

Mr. Braley is a lawyer so here is a legal question for him. Is it a crime to impersonate a farmer? Or just a political misdemeanor?